When It's Time
by ResplendentQuetzal
Summary: The cosmos is a revolving cycle. It's everywhere, from the nutrients in dead plants feeding the growing to the matter from dead starts forming worlds like ours. Ulquiorra finds the heart he lost but even with her powers, is Orihime able to fix hers?


So this is set a few years down the line after the winter war, about the same time as Heaven Forbid. The two stories aren't set in the same universe but there may be a couple of elements that overlap. In short, Ichigo's captain of 5th, engaged to Rukai, Karin's in the academy and the rest will unfold over time. Enjoy ^^

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><p>Ishida flicked over to the next page of his text book, already knowing the words it would hold. The challenge he'd expected from university life had failed to deliver and his hands ached for his bow and his body yearned for the thrill of a hollow hunt.<p>

Chad too sat in his dorm. It was in a different set of halls to Ishida's. Eyes unfocused, he watched the remains of films play out to a predictable happy ending. Not that he cared how it ended, all he cared about was the strong black haired girl curled up beside him, sleep leaving her face soft and her overall appearance gentle, not something Japan's best female martial artist would allow whilst awake.

Orihime sat with ketchup coated popcorn, wondering how Tatsuki's date with Chad was going, and if Uryuu would pass his medical exam the next day. She was happy with how he life had settled down, looking forward to each day as a kindergarten teacher but still, the nights held something different. Most of the time is it was loneliness. Other times it was a pair of green eyes, sad eyes, and watching the hand stretched out to her crumble into dust.

In the sixth squad barracks, Kurosaki Karin woke to hear her roommate whimper in her sleep, probably feeling smothered by the sudden burst or power through the air. The slight creek of the ceiling told her she wasn't the only one awake.

Renji paced outside his room, watching as Byakuya approached. They could feel it and it put them on edge. In almost every squad the taicho and their vice could be found together, worried about the reiatsu flooding out of east Rukongai. "Do you think it's one of them?" Renji asked, face for once void of his raging emotions and temper. He let out an exually bland sigh as he received a nod in reply.

Ichigo cupped Rukia's face and pressed a soft kiss to her lips, before dragging himself away from her and putting on his robes. Leaving her tore at him. It wasn't leaving her, however, that installed a deep fear in him now, but the reiatsu that he felt. He'd prayed to any and every deity that he would never feel it again.

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><p>First he was in a world of darkness, there were thorns all around him and he knew he wasn't alone, but his company meant him no harm. He could neither see nor hear them and after an eternity, the world began to melt away into a pure black. There was a gently breeze against his skin and slowly he opened his eyes.<p>

He knows nothing. Raising a limb towards the sky he looked at the bizarre lumps at the end of it, how they curl and turn and rotate.

_Hand._

He is pleased he has remembered. He wants to know more, but it's like being at the bottom of the ocean and seeing the sun oh so far away. He forces his brain to work as one would hopelessly swim to the top. It's hurting him, like the burning lungs and cramp but he keeps trying. There is no alternative except to give up. Looking around he clutches at the world he sees.

_House._

_Street._

_People._

_Why are the people lying on the street?_

It's too fast now, it's like he's hurtling towards the surface now, the sun is there and blinding and it'll be so open and vast out of the water. As he breaks through, like the sun would burn his eyes, the memories leave a fire in his mind.

_Aizen. Kurosaki. Death. Blood. Hearts. Orihime._

_Orihime._

_Emptiness._

_The remnants of his soul lost to Hueco Mundo, eaten by some pathetic hollow. Trash. He saw through that hollow's eyes. He felt its mind. Controlled it sometimes. He held its arm still, not letting it block as some low level shinigami cleaved its mask in two, freeing every soul trapped inside it and letting them stream into the Soul Society._

His fingers brushed just below his throat, the skin perfectly flat. Solid. He moved his touch to the left, noticing there were no raised areas. He no longer had his tattoo. He was free of Aizen.

Freedom. What did that word even mean? What did one do when they were free?

He closed his eyes again, staying lying flat on the cold ground. He could feel several captain level reiatsus hurtling towards him. He notice his hand, and his cheeks, were now damp.

Was this, crying? The thing he'd seen the woman do?

He had no reason to cry that he could comprehend.

Not that he had the time left to do so. A rustle of grass told him his first visitor had arrived. A tumbling mumble of swear words and denial confirmed it was who he thought.

"What are these tears for Kurosaki?" he said, as dead as it had been when he was an espada.

"The fuck. No. Ulquiorra?" Ichigo's eyes dropped to where there was no longer a hollow hole. "Shit."

The two made eye contact. The shinigami captain looked like he was about to throw up.

"What did you expect Kurosaki? That the espada would be exempt from the cycle of hollow and plus all spirits are subject to? That we would never reappear in Soul Society? You're as naive as back then."

Two more forms, the captains of sixth and tenth joined the fifth. Their vices were moments behind them. The 13th came next, and then two more. Ulquiorra could not see their arm insignia and none were dumb enough to turn their back to him. At least their scientist wasn't there.

Shuuhei shook his head. They'd planned to hard for the moment this happened but it didn't quite seem real. And it had to be this one. The one who had scarred the most hearts. Raising his hands in front of him he breathed out the kidou spell he know he didn't need, "Bakudo 77; Gochutekkan."


End file.
